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Colts' Mike McGlynn saves Christmas for Shelbyville family

Megan McGlynn was watching the local television news when she learned a mother of three had been robbed on “Black Friday” of a minivan full of Christmas presents.

She told her husband, Mike, the Indianapolis Colts’ starting offensive right guard.
Mike was motivated to do something about it.

Mike McGlynn contacted the Colts, who got in touch with Lori Diehl, 31, Shelbyville. He paid for everything lost, about $500 in gifts.

The teacher on maternity leave also had a breast pump and accessories stolen, valued at about $500. A female police officer responding to the scene was sympathetic and donated an old breast pump.

McGlynn called Diehl from the Lucas Oil Stadium locker room after Sunday’s 20-13 win over Buffalo.

“He truly was wonderful,” Diehl said. “We were just amazed. He was exceedingly generous.”

McGlynn even talked to her 3 1/2-year-old son, Brayden.

“Yeah, he was really excited,” McGlynn said before taking his postgame shower.
“He was over the moon excited,” Diehl said.

To say the family was touched would be an understatement, considering family circumstances before the theft.

Diehl’s teacher husband, Matthew, just completed his 12th round of chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They’re praying a December check-up will inform the cancer is in remission.

“We’ve had a long journey this year,” she said.

They worried about their finances, especially when planning for Christmas. Family friends and fellow worshipers at St. Joseph’s Catholic church in Shelbyville reached out to provide gift cards.

Diehl shopped Friday at Kmart, Kohl’s, Target and Sears. She had just completed her final stop at Menards on the Southeast side when she returned to find her Dodge Grand Caravan had been robbed.

“We had struggled this year and people will never know how much of a blessing they were to reach out to us,” Diehl said. “Somehow, I felt like I had let all of them down. I was just devastated.”

When McGlynn phoned, he said, “No one should feel that way during the holidays.”
As his teammates celebrated an important win over the Bills to improve to 7-4, McGlynn talked about helping out the Diehls
“I made a little donation to her and her family, just to make the Christmas time better,” said McGlynn, 27. “We’re so blessed in here, what we’re doing right now. To see somebody who has something happen, everybody works hard for their money, everybody works hard for whatever they can get. To have it taken away is just the wrong thing.

“I decided to do something for this family. Hopefully it will be a great Christmas for them.”

More than the monetary gift, Diehl said she is grateful she can use this experience as a lesson for her three children, to instill in them that faith is rewarded.

The Diehls are Colts fans but she admits they didn’t know McGlynn, who spent three years with Philadelphia and a season in Cincinnati before joining the Colts in the offseason.

They won’t forget him now.

“I kind of have a feeling I’m going to have to be in search of a McGlynn jersey because that’s all Brayden talks about now,” she said. “I’ll be honest with you, we didn’t know who he was until today. It’s wonderful that he’s this type of role model for young children.